My Beloved Brother,-Our letters have about crossed, but I take up my pen by reason of the question you raise as to the bride: more than one has been raised on it, some applying it wholly to the earthly Jerusalem. It may not be our highest position, and may be connected with a help-meet in the kingdom when all was subject; its distinction, however, from the earthly Jerusalem is clear. On the other hand, the main point is the distinction of the body: that is our own proper place connected with and founded on the exaltation of Christ to the right hand of God. I have therefore no conscious a priori objection, if it be not the habits of thought which always exercise some influence, and particularly when one is an old man, more fixed than recipient, and I am not young. But I have not yet been able to make the bride the Lamb's wife other than the church. The Book of Revelation decides nothing absolutely. It says, "the bride, the Lamb's wife," and, "the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." If the nations of those who are saved, who walk in the light of it [are] contrasted with the kings of the earth, that indeed would decide the matter, and shows Abraham's place, which has made a difficulty to some minds; but this I could not affirm. Still, up to the present, I am not able to see anything else but the church. The contrast with Babylon, and His wife having made herself ready, seems to point out the present period in contrast with church corruption.
The espousing to Christ, to which you refer, points to the same thing, but I hardly see how Eph. 5 can be taken otherwise, for surely it points to the present relationship of Christ as Christ, which can hardly apply to the Old Testament saints when He was not Christ at all-the nourishing and cherishing it, as a man his own flesh, for we are members of His body, we are of His flesh and of His bones. This in every way connects itself with Christ become man, and though, as you urge, the church is not termed wife, because in fact that marriage is not come, yet surely it goes from the thought of this relationship, and refers to the relationship of Eve, and connects the thought of membership of the body with being of His flesh and of His bones; that is, the body and the wife. The body is not de facto more complete than the wife, though no doubt present union of members exists with the Head. The marriage is clearly future. Still Eph. 5 seems to me to identify the body and the wife. Bride is not a leading Pauline thought, but Old Testament and figurative. Union and membership is actual and real. Hence we do not find the bride so much in Paul, but in Revelation, which goes on prophetic ground, but transfers to heaven the images of prophecy. But I do not think the twelve tribes show Israel-no more than the angels, angelic beings-making part of the city: both I esteem characteristic. The providential power administered by angels, and direct government of Jehovah, as well as apostolic foundation, characterize the church, not so much Paul as the twelve, even so. Abraham's looking for the city does not exactly make him to be the city: it is another line of thought....
The agitation is very great in these countries, even in England. There is recrudescence on the Bethesda question, though but little as yet, but in Ireland and Scotland plenty; many being in movement, and leaving the Establishment, and in Ireland many meetings being formed without much knowing what they are about, through the labors of young men very hot against the Establishment, rather revivalist, and hitherto knowing nothing of the unity of the body; but there is progress—pretty decided as to breaking with evil, but not yet aware of its craft, so as to assure one they will keep it out; but the Lord is faithful. The brethren are going on happily enough, both in England and Ireland, and there is general growth and peace, though infirmity here and there:
Ever affectionately yours in the blessed Lord.
Glasgow, 1865.